Comparing the Postoperative Analgesic Efficacy of Anterior Iliac Block and Ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric Block in Inguinal Hernia Surgery

The primary aim of this study is to compare two postoperative analgesia techniques used in patients undergoing inguinal hernia surgery-(1) the anterior iliac block and (2) the ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric block-in terms of postoperative analgesia duration and patient satisfaction. Effective postoperative analgesia in inguinal hernia surgery is crucial for improving patient comfort and reducing opioid consumption. Although ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerve blocks are commonly used for this purpose, their relatively limited dermatomal coverage may result in inadequate analgesia in some cases. The recently described anterior iliac block has been proposed as an alternative to conventional techniques, offering potentially wider neural spread and more effective postoperative pain control. However, the efficacy and safety of this novel block have not yet been sufficiently evaluated in the literature. This study aims to compare the anterior iliac block with the ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric block in terms of postoperative pain control and patient satisfaction. The objective is to determine whether the anterior iliac block, through its broader dermatomal distribution, provides lower NRS pain scores, reduced analgesic requirements, and higher patient satisfaction compared with traditional nerve blocks.